Arlington County, Arlington Rat Control Situation:
Hello. I don't know if this is something you still do, but I need some expert advise so thought I'd give it a try! We are renting a house in Alexandria VA west of DC. I think it was built in the 60's, a ranch style home, and has been renovated but has much of the original doors, framework, etc. The guest bathroom in particular is not sealed off properly. It was an add-on and not done correctly, so the slab is cracked and eroding, as well as rotten wood with holes in it sealed with foam of all things! We have a beautiful courtyard and put out a couple bird feeders, but recently took them down when we noticed the sounds of critters in the attic. We've looked up there and so far the insulation looks almost new and other than a few cobwebs it's pretty clean up there. But there are a few droppings! I want to catch this early and eradicate the problem as quickly and humanely as possible for our safety and for the safety of our landlords house. It looks like you suggest sealing first, then traps, then clean-up. What do you think about the birdseed? Is it to blame? Or the wide open house? Can the rats be coming in from below the slab? My husband, ( this is his email btw) has heard them under the tub in the guest bathroom:// Any other tips? And are you by chance nearby in Arlington VA? Probably not, but just thought I'd check! Any and all suggestions are appreciated. Thank you for your time!
My response: The slab could be to blame. Perhaps there are multiple entries. I wouldn't know without seeing it, but I live in Orlando. Bird seed does attract rats, but really, the problem is that there are openings leading inside the house.
We have a roof rat problem. We've heard the little critter crawling around in our daughters upstairs bedroom (refinished attic /bedroom) for awhile now. My wife also saw the little guy in action on our neighbors bird feeder at about 3:30am this morning and then watched him head back up to our roof. That pretty much sealed the deal that we weren't dealing with squirrels... I can see a few potential issues. We don't have a way into the attic because of the way it was refinished. When previous owner did renovations, they didn't leave access point to portion of attic that is unfinished. There is also some flashing on roof that is pulled up and near where we hear the most noises. I was going to secure it, but don't want to trap anything in... Contact info is below. Give me a call on my cell, anytime, and I can go into more detail for you. Hopefully you can give me a rough estimate on the phone and then we can proceed from there. Definitely want to get this issue resolved. :)
Arlington Rat Control Tip of The Week
Where Outside Should I Relocate A Trapped Rat After I Have Sealed The House?
For many homeowners, getting to know that the rats in their homes are finally trapped will come as a big relief. But what to do afterward is usually another challenging phase they will have to face to make sure their rat removal process is finished.
Have you also caught a rat in your home and you are bothered about where you should relocate the rat after you have sealed all their possible entry holes into your home? When it comes to relocating rats, you have to think through the best way to get it done. But first, you have to figure out the best place to relocate it.
A fact about rats is that they are accustomed to their environment and only have a slim chance of surviving in any new environment they are being introduced. Whichever place you choose to relocate the rat you caught, you need to make sure the place is far away from your home to prevent the rat from finding its way back to your property.
Your choice of where to relocate the rat should also depend on the availability of possible shelter and food sources. If the environment you choose to relocate the rat has these factors in place, its chances of survival will increase. While making your choice of where to relocate the rat, you need to also understand the fact that relocating it within a populated area automatically puts other homes close to where it was released at risk. This simply means that you have to choose a remote area that still has the potentials of providing some food and shelter for the rat.
After finding a place to relocate the rat, you need to go back home and disinfect your home properly. The best way to do this is to hire a professional wildlife agent to help you with this process.
